THE FALLOW DEER {Dama vulgaris) 



Fallow Deer appear to be native to the districts adjoining the 

 Mediterranean, whence they have been introduced into our own 

 and other countries. They may be taken as a type of those even- 

 toed hoofed mammals which ruminate or ''chew the cud". In all 

 such creatures the stomach is complex, and the food is at first 

 swallowed without much preparation, being afterwards returned to 

 the mouth for more thorough mastication. This peculiarity is 

 associated with unusual powers of locomotion, and it is probable 

 that rumination was evolved as a protective measure. It enables 

 a large amount of food to be rapidly taken in, after which the 

 animal can retire to a place of security, where the process of 

 digestion may be completed at leisure. 



The "antlers" of the Fallow Deer are of bony nature, and are 

 shed annually. As in most creatures of the deer kind they are 

 present only in the male, and though they constitute very efficient 

 defensive weapons their chief use is in relation to the fierce 

 combats which take place between the bucks during the season 

 of courtship. 



